Why Americans Love War
Posted: Thursday, August 26, 2010
by e
Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation
"Most great nations, at the peak of their economic power, become arrogant, wage great world wars at great cost, wasting vast resources, taking on huge debt, and ultimately burning themselves out." - Kevin Phillips, "Wealth and Democracy."
"War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning . . . a communal march against an enemy generates a warm, unfamiliar bond with our neighbors, our community, our nation, wiping out unsettling undercurrents of alienation and dislocation. - Chris Hedges.
America is becoming a culture of war. So many integral connections and webs of destruction intermingle with American thought. This ranges from private citizens owning multiple guns, to citizen militias, to all the little kids in the countryside wearing camouflage outfits learning how to kill from their weekend warrior parents.
War is an inevitability. We cannot stop war's seductive calling because it dominates the mind set of a large segment of the American population. Hatred is "in." Historically, the right wing's program for our country's economic woes has been cutting taxes for the wealthy and paying for it by cutting social programs. by increasing military spending and paying for it by printing money, and by waging war, paying for it with our kid's lives which become merely fodder for Wall Street gamblers. As soon as a Republican takes office again, Iran will be bombed kicking off WW III. "Bomb, bomb, bomb . . . bomb, bomb Iran." - John McCain.
War begins inside each of our heads. Not big wars, but little wars that we fight daily. When someone disagreed with us in the past, we would merely shrug it off as their loss. But not now. Now we have to change their minds, or at least "dis" them (disrespect them) in some way, or diminish them or defame their credentials. This is hatred, this is war. No concessions, no backing down - just winning with force at all costs. When our country is failing economically because of our own greed and stupidity, we can't accept that, we can't admit that it was our fault and totally our fault. Instead we blame someone else, usually some weak, hapless country who's ass we know we can kick so that we can get our mojo back, and get our economy moving again.
No longer will we surrender or yield. Compromise is looked upon as cowardice and capitulation. Our egos have become so bloated that winning is now everything and losing unthinkable. We are right all of the time and they are wrong all of the time. What kind of logic is that? It's not logical at all, it's insane, and that is why war is inevitable. It takes this kind of insanity to fuel the fires of war.
Hatred is therefore becoming rampant in America. Hatred is the new heroics, and those who hate the best are the most admired. Just look at talk radio, or cable news. And with the current economic depression, war is inevitable, and the only possible escape from poverty.
Now extrapolate this hatred based idealism - that we hate anything that is not American - into the war machine that America has become. First of all, certain religions tout that Armageddon is upon us and we must kill all of the unbelievers before they kill us. We are insecure and must prove ourselves as the top dog constantly, and with an arsenal built up during the Cold War that sits rusting, begging to be tested, and America's prestige going to hell in a hand basket because of our greed and borrowing, how much more of a hair trigger do we need?
Armaments have been very profitable to America, arguably the country with almost a monopoly on weapons sales and development. Won't all these weapons be used regardless of the nonsensical argument that "they are only for defense?" Isn't the fact of preparing for war a direct indication of what will happen when we can't stand it any longer and the national hatred spills over into actually seeing how good our weapons are in action?
Similar to the pronouncement in the movie Wall Street that "Greed is good;" war is considered good as well - admirable, and justified. Why else would we spend twenty times more on our military than any other country? We firmly believe that we are the good guys and everyone else is bad, which corresponds nicely to our religion where our truth is the only truth, and everyone else sucks. With that kind of attitude, wouldn't war be inevitable, as we try to straighten out the rest of the world?
And of course there is the entertainment aspect of war, where we can sit in our recliners and watch the "terrible" war from our living rooms. We love war. It's boring without an active war going on, and we know that we are the best at war, and have no doubt that we will prevail. This is akin to gleefully watching our favorite sports team wipe out a weak competitor. We have also become isolated and distant from the realities of war. We even ban coverage of coffins coming back from the front.
Part of the problem might be that war has become too easy, too technical, isolating us from the realities of war. But will the bottom line always be that we prevail and others surrender? Historically one country has never prevailed for long. Someone eventually kicked its butt.
Our country is but a few hundred years old. How much longer can we expect to dominate the world? Economically not long. We are being challenged by China, the sleeping giant (Napoleon). Before China's billion plus people develop into an economic power where their military might will dwarf ours, America's hatred will be directed to their communistic success as we lose our jobs and standard of living. It's inevitable, as inevitable as the coming strike against Iran. And it's all happening now.
We will strike China, either by some trumped up excuse to nuke them before they can get an advantage with increased military hardware, or maybe they will react to the Iran strike, which would be playing right into our hands. And we will dominate again, even if it means the end of planet earth. Because anything less than this insanity is now considered "Un-American."
And what the hell, a little collateral damage, such as ending life on earth as we know it, will be well worth winning our point.
Whatever that was.
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More commentsBrilliant. Still waiting on that benevolent alien intervention to spare our children's future. What other hope do we have? The hatred is just too rampant to turn back the clock.It seems that way David. But we keep trying! Thank you again for your help.
Once again E, you make some valid points, but seem to be determined to focus primarily on the negative. How about a little good news from time to time? There is that out there also you know.I'm trying to head off a nuclear war that will end all the good news, a war that I see coming. I'm doing what I can to alert people that there are undercurrents they may not be aware of that can end humanity. And I'm doing it in the only way that I can: offer to teach people how to meditate and get rid of the anger, and write about the realities of hatred that may easily fuel the next great war that will end the world. This is what I do, and I can't do otherwise or I wouldn't be true to myself. And by the way, I want to thank you, Joyce, for your continuing support, (even though I sometimes make you feel bad) :)
I think you and I could have a great time sitting around and talking about this kind of thing.I'm sure Abe!Best.....e
Hi E- Although you don't need my rating- I like to read you anyhow- You make sense! Even tho you still scare me sometimes- it's sort of like why little kids like to huddle around the campfire and hear ghost stories- even tho they scare them LOL- Thanks- Always- EllaThank you so much Ella. You're the greatest! By the way, Ghosts are real. Oh, and I do need your ratings! My articles are not the mom and apple pie variety that everyone can get cozy with! :)
This is an outstanding article based on the simple fact .......that it is true!!!Thank You.Thanks Bob. I hope it doesn't come true, and I try to publicize the undercurrent of hatred in America at this time to perhaps help ward off war.Best.....e
Sometime ago, I heard this thing on TV that according to the many in the east, the Americans are going crazy. We can't blame them, because even in the US media, a lot of the shows, even the talk shows are becoming crazier and crazier. The Greeks have this saying that " whom the gods wish destroyed, they first make mad," and much of this madness can be traced to materialism. The spiritual side of things are left to degenerate as made manifest in divorces, abortions, wars even where the use of force instead of diplomatic persuasion is given priority. But come to think of it, if America is really that bad, how come people would prefer US rather than China or North Korea? Probably they see the US as a place where real freedom exists. God bless America is still the best prayer that the Americans should be praying, specially in these times.Yes, the talk shows are nothing but lies and half truths to cultivate ratings and enrage the public. Very dangerous. and won't last long. If it does, the country won't last long because then America has changed from logical and sensible thinking to radical thinking. Then China, India, and the Asian countries will begin to look good to young people who will not be able to find jobs here. The UK was king two centuries ago, America was king during the last century. Asia will be king during the next.
Interesting spin - never gave the issue that thought before now. Good job !Thank you so much Dave. It's just my opinion, of course, based upon what I observe.
You said it all when you said war begins inside our heads. It starts with little things and escalates to big things. Wouldn't it be grand if we focused on peaceful thoughts instead.That's for sure Val. Thank you.
Hi e.I'm not sure the picture is quite as bad as you paint it, but I do get your point. Most of the people I know are much more reasonable and moderate than those you depict. I do encounter some as you describe, but they are few in my experience. I think we've more to worry about from the politicians than the average citizen.Thanks for an interesting and provocative read.Hugs, Dianne"God told me to invade Iraq." - George W. Bush. With this kind of infantile thinking, Bush became the head of a major party, and I believe that a majority of Republicans as well believe and espouse war as a God ordained solution to economic problems, along with cutting taxes for the wealthy, devastating social programs for the poor, and increasing military spending which is now twenty times greater than any other country, and greater than all other countries combined. To my way of thinking, this is very dangerous policy, and I feel I must write about the way these individuals are gambling with American lives, The next war won't be watched from our living rooms, it will be in our living rooms! Thank you Dianne.
Metta.......e
Dear Ray - I'm still writing, but I don't know, my stuff never makes it on the front page of Searchwarp either in story title or the comments box. I've got a suspicion somebody has it in for me because of my opinion. I hope that's not the case.I also find typos I didn't think I made.I don't want to seem like sour grapes.If someone is going to all the trouble to censor me, it would be truly high praise indeed.AffectionatelyJohn SammonI don't know John. You might check with Bruce. I'm not sure how articles are selected for Reader's Club, which has all the power regarding front page. I haven't seen your two recent articles on my reader's Club, so I don't have a chance to vote. Much of what I get on my Reader's Club are innocuous "How to operate a computer," or "How to have a male baby" type things. Intellectuals, such as yourself, myself, Greg Lewis and many others usually can only generate a small voice amongst the whiskey, guns and bibles contingent:)Also use "Submit to assignment desk" at the bottom of the categories column. This usually gets the article on the front page in the "Thoughts and opinions" section.Best.....e
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